Kensington Palace

One of a pair of paintings of Kensington Gardens by the artist in the Museum's collection. This picture depicts Kensington Palace from the east. It is springtime and Edward Frederick Brewtnall's painting conveys the soft light and lush greens of an early evening. Although the large tree trunks in the foreground obscure some of the view, the Palace and people visiting the grounds can be seen clearly in the distance.

During the 19th century, Kensington Palace was granted thirty-six thousand pounds to be restored, with the provision that the public was given access to the State apartments. Queen Victoria announced their proposed opening in January 1898 and the apartments were opened on 24 May 1899. This may have acted as an incentive on Brewtnall's choice of subject, as this view was painted shortly afterwards. Between 1912 and 1914 the State Apartments became the home of the newly founded London Museum, the forerunner of the Museum of London.

As well as being a painter of landscapes, Brewtnall was also an illustrator. An early contributor to the 'Graphic' and the 'Illustrated London News', he specialised in narrative scenes.